Thursday, December 30, 2010

Yarmouth, NS — After more than two months spent examining five proposals for providing ferry service between Nova Scotia and New England, the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission has concluded that none of the proposals are financially viable. The Commission, which confirmed that it was considering a route to Bar Harbor, hopes to support a Yarmouth to New England ferry by May 2012, according to a press release distributed late Tuesday afternoon.

“At this point in time it is the Commission’s opinion that the proposals received do not meet the basic requirement of our RFP [request for proposal] process,” reads the press release.

According to the release, the Commission’s basic requirement is, “Clear confirmation of financial capacity to operate a ferry service.”

The CAT ferry service in Bar Harbor ended in December 2009, putting 120 people out of full and part-time work. According to Bay Ferries Limited, the company that operated the CAT, the route had lost its financial viability because of the struggles of the American economy, the rise of the Canadian dollar, and new U.S. passport regulations.

In the statement, the Commission acknowledged that the announcement might be disappointing to the applicants, as well as others who would welcome ferry service to their community.

“While the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission shares the frustrations and disappointment of businesses and residents of Nova Scotia, New England and particularly Yarmouth County, we feel that we also have a responsibility to ensure that any service provider is financially capable of starting a new service and sustaining that service into the future,” reads the release.